


Human Nature

by Afeefs



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 17:40:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 12,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28441047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Afeefs/pseuds/Afeefs
Summary: April Varleth wasn't expecting her family to move to the other side of the world during her last year of school. She didn't have a choice starting over in a new country for her father's job.(I also like to add, I do not condone anything JKR has done it said. She’s a transphobic, racist piece of shit.)
Relationships: Angelina Johnson/George Weasley, Fleur Delacour/Bill Weasley, Fred Weasley/Original Female Character(s), Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Remus Lupin/Nymphadora Tonks
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	1. Paper Clips

Staring off at the sun nearly setting on the horizon, the dark haired, seventeen year old sighed before looking back over at the dark haired boy walking next to her. 

"Aren't you glad that you're almost done with school," he laughed looking back at the brunette who gave back a small smile. 

"Yeah I am," she replied, breaking eye contact. "I need to tell you something though," she quickly said, not wanting to give him a chance to speak. For some reason she was nervous and scared to tell him that she was moving the next day. She had no clue why she waited so long before telling him. Maybe it was because she felt like they were no longer working out as a couple and that they would break up. That he wouldn’t want her anymore. That she wasn’t enough.

"What is it, Alex?" He asked stoping to look at her for a quick second. His hazel eyes glanced over the girl trying to figure out what she was going to say.

"I'm not going to be going to Salem's this fall. Mom and dad are making me transfer to Hogwarts," she replied not really looking at the boy. "I'm moving tomorrow to England."

"Oh really?" was all he said with no emotion in his voice. He just stared blankly at the girl. He looked back at the horizon and started walking.

"Is that all you have to say, Caleb? Seriously?" Alex had yelled then taking a deep breath and turning away.

"I don't know! What you want me to say?" The dark haired boy replied raising his voice. Signing exasperated while running his hand through his hair.

Taking a deep breath Alex rolled her eyes. "Well I got to go pack. I'm leaving tomorrow if you didn't catch that. Bye." With that Alex Varleth apperated to her bedroom, not wanting to get into another argument with him.

Once she opened her eyes she saw the poster filled walls with nothing packed in her room. She knew her mother will come barging in any minute to yell at her for not being done with packing. They were leaving the next day. 

Shaking the conversation from her head Alex went straight to her closet and pulled out the suitcase and dropped it on her bed. Taking another deep breath she held the suitcase from between her hands and thought of expanding the inside to fit a bookshelf and all her clothes. After thinking she had gotten the spell done she unzipped the suitcase and stuck her head in. It looked like it would be enough room for her.

Tossing some paper clips inside the suitcase Alex was about to join the paper clips at the bottom.

"Alex Kimberly Varleth! Where on Earth were you?" an older version of Alex bellowed. Grey hairs starting to show from the few hairs that were falling out from her bun. 

"I was with Caleb. Finally told him we are moving," Alex said calmly looking back at her mother. She turned her body from facing the suitcase to her mother, resting her hands on the edge of her unmade bed.

"Why didn't you tell us before leaving? Anyway, how did he take it? Hard I bet. You two seem so in love," her mother smiled sweetly walking over towards her. "I know you don't like this move but, I think it's for the best. For all of us actually. I'm sure you'll love Hogwarts. Your father has an old friend or two from there. I can't for the life of me remember their names," Alex's mother rambled, wrapping an arm around her daughter.

"All Caleb said was 'oh really?' He's such an ass!" Alex thought for a second before she decided to tell her mother the truth, "Things haven't been the best between us. I think he's fallen out of it. Seems like we are going through motions." Alex told her mom about how it just wasn't the same and how he's different while looking at the picture of her and Caleb laughing together with his arms wrapped around her. Her best friend Jennifer had taken that picture. 

Things have been different, especially since she caught him cheating the year before. Alex didn’t tell anyone how that her and Caleb couldn’t go a week without having a screaming match. It could be about anything. Caleb pissed and letting his anger out on her or Alex thinking that something is going on. 

"Oh, I'm so sorry sweetheart," her mother hugged her. "Do you need help packing? I can help you or you can see if Jennifer wants to come over and sleep over before we leave." Snapping Alex out of her thoughts, Alex dropped the ring she was fiddling with around her neck. 

"Thanks mom but I think I can do this alone," she smiled at her mom. "Time for a brand new start. I was getting sick of Salem anyway," she added hoping it was going to make her mom feel better about the move and stop pitying her daughter. 

"If you say so sweetie," she replied walking out of the room. "If you need help, just holler," her mother added from the doorway before heading down the hall to the stairs.

Turning back the the plain, black suitcase, Alex hopped inside without stopping to think. She wanted to ignore all the thoughts and feelings that were going to overwhelm her. Landing with a small thud, and a small pain radiating pain in one of her ankles.

"Fuck," the brunette whispered rotating her left ankle with the pain not going away.

Seeing the paper clips that she threw, Alex picked them up and separated them each from right next to the other, ignoring the pain. Once she felt that each paper clip had enough space in between she pulled her wand out. With one flick the paper clip turned into a hanging rack. A small smile appeared. Alex turned the next two papers clips into hanging racks as well the third into a bookshelf, the fourth a ladder and the last into a small battery powered lamp.

Feeling satisfied, and having something to keep her brain busy, Alex forgot about the pain in her ankle and only for a moment the conversation she had moments before. The only focus the seventeen year old had was to fit all her clothes, books, and knickknacks into the suitcase she had enlarged. 

Finding her walkman on her dresser, she put it over her ears and danced as she finished up packing. Forgetting all the events that had happened that evening.


	2. Moving Day

It was moving day, was the first thought as the lights shown through the bare windows that once had navy curtains hanging over it that were now packed in a box somewhere in the house. Pulling the white duvet over her head and rolling over, Alex let out a groan with the failed attempt to block the sunlight. Alex knew it was around 6:45AM and didn't want to get up and out of her comfortable position. 

A small pop was the reason Alex pulled the covers off her face and sat up. "My Merlin! Why aren't you out of bed! Jacob will be here soon! You need to change and get ready ASAP! I'm sure Caleb will be here any minute too!" A girl with dark hair yelled pulling the duvet off the bed.

"Jen. Easy. It's only..." Alex looked over on the empty night stand that only has a clock on it, "6:42. Jacob told me he was coming at 7:30." A small smile tugged on her lips as she dragged herself out of bed.

"Go brush your teeth!" The dark haired girl laughed pushing Alex towards the door.

Turning the knob to the bathroom right outside her room she realized the door was locked. Knocking on the door she yelled, "Hurry up, Spencer!" The door opened nearly as soon as Alex had yelled. A boy that looked similar to the girl just stood their smiling. "Why are you so dress up?" Alex had asked her brother who was dressed in dark jeans and a red polo.

"Why are you still in pajamas?" He replied with a grin. "Hi, Jen. How's your little sister doing? Excited for Salem?" He asked looking over his sister's shoulders, ignoring her completely.

"Get out of the way Spence, Alex needs to get ready." Alex's friend, Jennifer had spoke leaning against her friend's doorframe. "Ashley is so excited for Monday, to answer your question. Never seen so much energy in a seven year old." 

Spencer had taken a step to the side to let his younger sister pass. In response, Alex had slammed the door shut behind her. 

Walking in and standing in front of the bathroom mirror. She took a deep breath with both her hands on the edge of the sink and taking a good look at her reflection. All she saw was bags that drooped under her dark brown eyes and a crooked nose staring at her with tired look. With a shake of her head, Alex quickly washed up and brushed her teeth before leaving the bathroom to change as her best friend and brother chatted as they waited before they started to move for the day.

Overalls and an old tee shirt seemed fitting and comfortable for all the moving that was going to be happening. 

Leaving the bare, once poster filled room of hers to join the two who seemed to be down having breakfast at the table for the last time in this house. It seemed a bitter sweet moment as she walked down the stairs and saw her brother setting the table with the plates filled with pancakes and Jennifer already pouring orange juice in her glass.

"Morning mom," Alex said walking into the bare kitchen as she grabbed the last plate filled with overcooked scrambled eggs from her mother and went and sat next to her friend. 

"Morning sweetie," her mother smiled, turning the stove off and taking the pan to the sink. "It's finally moving day!"

Another pop landed closer to the front of the house which made the room to turn their head to see who had come. 

"Morning! Sorry I'm a bit early," a deep voice spoke as they walked towards the kitchen.

"Jacob, thank you for coming and helping," Alex and Spencer's mother had spoke seeing a dark skinned boy walking in the room. "Join us for breakfast. Henry should be joining us shortly to help start up this moving." The dark haired friend came and sat next to her brother. 

Looking over that the table at the breakfast her mother had made, Alex realized how much effort her mom had put in; scrambled eggs, pancakes, turkey bacon, toast, orange juice, and apple jam were sprawled all around the tables with everyone grabbing what they pleased. 

"When's Caleb coming over?" Spencer asked with his mouth filled with eggs.

"None of your business," Alex responded pouring herself a cup of coffee from the last of the kitchen appliances that hadn't been packed.

"Well it is. It'll help where we should start with the moving once dad gets back," Spencer shot back. "Get me a cup too."

Grabbing an extra mug and pouring a cup for her brother as well, Alex's mother replied before she could figure out what to say after the events from the night before. "Spencer leave your sister alone. We have enough hands helping out as it is."

Alex saw the look her friends were giving her, the 'what's going on and why don't we know,' look.

~~~

Once breakfast was done and the group helped clean and pack the remaining kitchen appliances, Alex's father, Henry came back from dealing with ministry dealings of continental apperation of their moving. 

"Okay who's ready to start moving!" Henry's voice boomed when he came back. 

"Hi honey, everything went alright?" 

"Better than I could have hoped for, Klarissa," Henry replied, planting a small kiss on his wife's cheek. "Okay, how about I first apperate with everyone there and then we can pair off and move the bigger furniture first then single off and bring smaller things while Klarissa places them where they should be going. Hm? Sound good?"

Everyone seemed to be in agreement and held each other's hands and with a pop and a sickening feeling the had apperated into their new house. It was a completely different feel from the hard wood floors that differed from the carpeted floors and the extra room for a study. Walking up the wooden staircase and looking into the rooms that all seemed liked to be perfect squares with the two bedrooms being connected through a bathroom. Finally wondering back down to where they had apperated when they arrived, Alex finally realized her mother, and Jennifer were the only ones left in the house. The boys had went back to start the moving.

"Called your room yet?" Jennifer laughed at her friend. 

"It's the one with the bigger closet," she laughed in reply. 

"You girls should head back while I start dusting and settling things in here. I'm a bit useless to help moving with magic," Klarissa laughed as she started to whip down the doorframes.

Klarissa had no magic unlike the rest of her family, but she didn’t mind it. She was a no-Maj and she was fine with it, that’s how things just were. She met Henry, her husband, with no idea that magic was real. 

Alex loved hearing the story of how they had met when she was no older than 5. Henry had been trying to figure out how the automatic doors worked on his first day, already late to his first lecture and Klarissa was running to meet up with her friends and ran right into him. She was not expecting him to walk right in front of her while inspecting the doors. Klarissa just assumed that he was Amish and didn’t know these things. She showed him around and introduced him to her friends and the rest was history. 

"You want to apperated? You know I prefer to no-maj or flying," Jennifer replied holding her hand out. With a small smile, Alex grabbed her hand and closed her eyes and in a second with a pop they were back to start some heavy lifting. 

~

It was pass 9 that evening and they were nearly done with moving all of their things out from the house. The only things left was the suitcases filled with their clothing. That was only going to take one trip and they were finally done. 

Jennifer and Jacob had already left to go home and said their final goodbyes until they can visit each other. Spencer had already taken his suitcase case to the house and was helping their mother settle in. Alex on the other hand was hoping to see Caleb one last time. Their last goodbye didn't sit well with her, well it wasn’t much of a goodbyes. Her father didn't want her to apperate to their new home all alone, so he waited with her.

"Alex, sweetie, shouldn't we go settle in and rest now?" Henry asked looking down at his watch.

"Um, yeah. I think I'll meet up with Caleb and say bye real quick and we can apperate back together. He might have forgot," Alex quickly said as she left the house without looking back.

She knew where she could find Caleb. He liked to hang out in the parking lot of a shopping mall that had closed down three years and before that he would hang out in the food court of that mall. It wasn't too far from her house. She use to bike down their and just hang out with the older boy.

For some reason Alex's chest filled with dread that felt like it could be choking her. A bad feeling took over her body. Each breath felt harder to take, the faster she ran. Finally not being able to handle it she apperated and saw his car. He was there. She ran to the silver Honda and stopped in her tracks. 

The dread in the throat closed tighter and she couldn't breathe. Her legs refused to move. She felt nothing and everything at once. 

Caleb was sitting on the hood of his car and making out with another girl.

The girl who was constantly throwing herself at him. 

The girl Caleb told her to not be worried about.

The girl who he said meant nothing to her.

The girl he had cheated on her with before.

Closing her eyes and finally finding that breath that she could not take, the windows of the car shattered and the couple turned and saw her as she apperated back to her dad. 

The second she got home she left with her dad.

When Caleb came to see the damage that he had caused, all he saw was an empty house with a ring sitting alone on the floor alone.

Caleb McCoy had messed up royally .


	3. Cupcake

A few days had passed since the Varleth family had moved into their new house. Spencer had moved into his dorm in university to the day before. Alex and her parents had a meeting with a professor who was coming to discuss Alex's school courses that was going to start the next week. She needed to set her schedule for her final year at school. She was going to have to take NEWT examinations this year.

In Salem's School Of Sorcerers, a private school in the East Coast of the US, they didn't have NEWTs or any standardized exams really. They had mentorships to help decide and narrow down possible careers and if they were capable as well. 

Alex had changed into her Salem's uniform, her only really wizardry clothing that she owned, she waited for the professor to arrive. The only thing she left out was the vest with the Salem's Schools emblem on it. Henry, her father, had told her that she would be coming closer to noon and she still had some time to figure out exactly what classes she would like to take the coming school year. 

To kill the homesickness she was feeling, Alex was talking to Jennifer. She told her a few day later what had happened after she and d Jacob had left. 

"Hey, Jenny I'm getting a call. It might be my mom," Alex told her friend as the phone was beeping to let her know an incoming call was coming. "Hello?"

"Thank God you finally picked up!" the voice responded. "Please let me explain." 

Alex's eyes widened as she realized who it was on the phone and scoffed to herself. "I don't want to hear anything from you. Don't ever call me again," scolded Alex as she hung up the phone and threw her head in her hands.

"Everything alright, sweetie?" a familiar soft voice spoke. Alex knew it was her dad. 

"I'm alright dad. If Caleb calls again tell him I moved to the North Pole," Alex sighed as she threw her head back and leaned into her dad who sat down next to her. 

Looking up at her father, Alex noticed the worry lines that had formed on his forehead that was hiding under his dark curly hair. The scruff with little grey hairs poking through on his attempt to grow a beard. 

"You deserve better, cupcake," Henry Varleth said planting a small kiss on her forehead. 

Alex had cried to her mother when she came back and obviously everyone in her family had found out. Spencer wanted to go back and teach him a lesson who was stopped by their parents. He had said something along the lines of, "No one makes my sister cry but me." 

"I'll order some pizza after the professor leaves, sound good? Then we'll go shopping this weekend so you have all your supplies," Henry smiled as he straightened up going over to the door. "Professor McGonagall! It's been ages, please come on in." 

"Henry dear, you haven't changed at all," the professor spoke. She had her hair tied into a tight ballerina bun on top her head, wearing a beautiful emerald green cloak and tiny rectangular glasses on the bridge of her crooked nose that looks like it has been broken several times. 

She carried several pieces of parchment in her arms with a quill held on top. Alex stood up and smiled an awkward smile back at the professor, feeling the need to pull her skirt down a little. The professor seemed very stern and strict.

"Professor, this is my daughter, Alex. Alex, this was my old transfiguration professor at Hogwarts. She was one of my favorite teachers," Henry spoke flicking how wand to bring a tray of tea with biscuits. 

"Oh, Henry you flatter me too much! Let's get all the official business settled then we can catch up," the professor spoke as she pulled out the first parchment and set the rest on the coffee table. It looked like she had brought nearly thirty to forty different parchments all filled. "Alright dear, let's see... it shows here that you have a talent and good grades for the core classes. Do you have an idea of which field you would like to go into?" 

Alex look taken back for a second and stammered for a second, "Oh, umm, I'm not too sure. I was thinking of maybe inventing and working with the ministry with no-Man technology or go to university like my brother." 

The witch raised an eyebrow at the girl, "Inventing?-"

Alex felt her anxiety rise for a second, not really know what to say.

"I was working with the American ministry about merging with the newer emerging muggle technology and was trying to convince the ministry here. I think that's what Alex is talking about," Henry butted in explaining. "But Alex was talking about how she was excited about learning about wand making when she was still attending Salem."

"Well, your transcript does not show any classes relating to care of magical creatures, so I would not recommend that. Has your father explained any of the classes or NEWTs?"

"Oh, yeah. We went over it. I had a couple narrowed down. I was hoping I could take Potions, Transfiguration, Charms, Divinations, Herbology, Defense Against the Dark Arts and my dad said that Hogwarts sometimes offer Alchemy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is a really short chapter. I’ve been super busy at the moment!


	4. Florean Fortescue’s Ice Cream Parlour

It was finally the weekend Alex was looking forward to. She loved to go shopping. The Varleth family finally had the time to go to get Alex her school supplies before she had to leave the Friday that was coming, September first. Alex's brother Spencer decided to come as well and see his little sister one last time before she leaves for her boarding school. He couldn't come to visit her leave since it was during one of his classes.

Spencer, decided he wanted to take a more no-maj approach on his career and decided to go to university like their mother and get a degree in engineering.

Henry Varleth seemed to be the most excited out of all of the members of his family. It had been at least fifteen years since he had seen any of his school time friends. He has written a letter to an old friend to meet up with him at a street which was known as Diagon Alley.

It was filled with shops filled with anything relating to magic. Alex saw that an ice cream parlor , a shop filled with brooms and broom care, owls and a so much more than Alex was used to seeing.

"Spencer keep an eye on your sister, Alex don't stray," Henry had spoke looking at his children.

"I'm not a child that Spencer needs to keep an eye on me," Alex has shot at her father looking offended at her family holding in their laughs.

"Darling you're still underage. We don't want you to get in a situation," Klarissa said smiling at her daughter holding onto her husband's arm that were interlocked.

They were standing and waiting in front of the ice cream parlor called Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Palour. Alex didn't understand why a bunch of words had U's added into them for no reason.

The two Varleth children decided to have some ice cream while they waited. He father had already exchanged the currency and was just waiting for a friend before they started to shop. Alex looked at her parents whispering and smiling at each other. She couldn't help but smile as her mother shook her head at something her father said.

"What do you think they're talking about?" It was Spencer who spoke scrambling Alex's thoughts.

"Maybe where dad disappears once a week at night since they are whispering. Mom doesn't seem worried. They whisper about it in the morning. Didn't have a chance this morning since I woke up before them. They don't think I notice it," Alex said looking back at her parents that turned to check on them.

"Dad disappears?" Spencer asked as he threw the napkin that was in his hand to the trash can that was next to them. Alex nodded before looking around, possibly to see who they were waiting for. "Have you overheard anything?"

"I heard something about-" Alex started as she saw her father go into hug someone. The two walked over to see exactly who they were waiting for forgetting the conversation.

An red haired woman came and gave her parents a hug. "It's been ages Henry! You never write either! Klarissa, how are you is been ages!" The woman spoke as she took both her parents in.

"Molly! You've changed so much," it was Henry who spoke. "How's Arthur and the kids? Last time I saw them, your daughter was born."

"They're wonderful. The twins are around somewhere. Said they needed things but wouldn't give me a list, so they now have to come and help me get supplies for everyone. Arthur is at work, but from what Arthur's told me is you've already caught up," the plump, red headed woman spoke.

Spencer stood by their mother, his confidence beaming as he smiled and introduced himself. Alex awkwardly stood next to her father thinking over what to say.

Hi I'm Alex. Hello, wonderful to meet you, I'm Alex. Wonderful? Hi, I'm Alex, it's nice to meet you.

"Alex? Are you okay?" Henry had whispered noticing his daughter's nose scrunch up as the rest of her face started the same.

Alex smiled at her dad. "This cupcake is my Alex," Henry introduced Alex to the woman. Hearing her father call her cupcake publicly made her cheeks and ears radiate with heat. "This is my dear friend Molly Weasley . We both went to school together and were in the same year. She, her friends and occasionally I would through concerts in the common room," Henry laughed remembering Molly dancing on top one of the tables, pretending to be a singer in a wizard band, projecting her voice with her wand and the entire common room dancing and singing along.

"Woah mum, we didn't know you were fun during Hogwarts," another voice spoke with amusement dripping from each word.

"Boys, where were you?" Molly started to chastise what to be her twin sons.

The twins were identical from what it seemed down to the freckle that were dotted across their faces. They were quite tall, taller than Spencer, and a lot more muscular than him too. Alex could imagine them breaking her brother in two, causing Alex to hold back her smile. It made it look like she was trying to not laugh at the boys being lectured by their mother.

"Fred and George? Molly you set yourself up for trouble with those names," Henry laughed remembering her older brother Fabian and Gideon who caused trouble in their days, tormenting the professors and students alike

"Alex," she introduced herself to the two boys who looked the siblings.

"I'm Spencer. Not to be rude but which one of you are Fred and George?" Alex's brother asked sticking his hand out.

"George."

"Fred." The twins grinned looking at each other before looking back at Spencer. Alex couldn't help but smile. It felt contagious.

~~~

The parents had decided to separate from the children to catch up while Alex got her supplies for school with the twins and Spencer grab some things he needed before he had to go back to attend his lecture.

The group was currently inside a bookstore called Flourish and Blotts. The store was crowded with bookshelves that had enough room to fit 2 people shoulder to shoulder from each bookcase and books overflowing from each and every shelf. Alex couldn't help but want to spend the entire day in the shop.

Alex ran her fingers across each spine, reading each title of each book that had passed her fingers.

Unfogging the Future  
Death Omens   
Predictions of Tycho  
Dream Oracle   
The Art of Palmestry

Alex grabbed the copy of The Art of Palmestry, one of the required books for her Divination's class and started looking for the other.

"Taking that joke of a class," a voice laughed from behind her.

Alex turned around pulling the book closer to her chest. "Well looks like someone doesn't have the ability to take a deeper look," Alex smiled looking at the red haired boy up and down.

"No need to check me out." The boy laughed causing Alex to smile to herself. "That class is a complete joke at Hogwarts. Sure you won't be able to take a 'deeper look' into anything," the boy smiled grabbing the book from her looking over the title page.

"Oh a gentleman I see. Thank you for offering to hold my books," Alex winked turning back around, grabbing the other Divination she needed to grab.

Basics of Tarot. Alex pulled one of the books from the stack and handed it to the redhead winking as he laughed walking up to catch up to her while she grabbed the rest of her books.

"So do you not need any books or are you not taking any classes?" She asked trying to make some sort of small talk.

"Well not as many as you," he laughed.

"So what classes are you talking?"

"Herbology, Transfiguration, Defense Against the Dark Arts," he listed grabbing two herbology books that Alex needed as well.

"Well seems like we may have a class together after all," Alex gave a small smile. "Thanks for he lping me, but I think I can go to the counter on my own," Alex spoke as she tried to do grab the books from the boy.

"Hey, I'm helping you as my brother does the actually work. I'll bring it up."

"Thanks," Alex replied biting down her lip as she followed the boy to the front of the store. 

After paying for her books, and the twins getting what apparently what was their required book list the group decided to leave. Spencer couldn't find what he was looking for and asked the bookstore owner if he comes across it to send him an owl his way.

Alex decided to be the first to leave as Spencer was explaining what he was exactly looking for and Alex had no clue where the twins were.

A hand grabbed Alex's wrist, pulling on it and then another covering her mouth and dragging her between two buildings. Her heart pounding harder and fast, Alex tried to throw the person off of her when they finally her ago and turning her around to look at them.

"What the actual fuck is wrong with you! How many times do I have to tell you to leave me the hell alone!" Alex yells at the person in front of her. He was the last person she wanted or expected to see.

"Alex please hear me out. It was an accident," the voice pleaded with her, grabbing her wrist one last time trying to stop her from leaving.

"Alex where are you?" It was Spencer who was calling out to her.

"Over here," Alex yelled trying to take her hand out of his grip.

"Alex! Oh hey- what the actual fuck."


	5. Hogwarts Express

September first had already arrived. Henry seemed more excited for Alex than she actually was. Who would be excited to start at a new school in their last year where everyone already knows everyone. Alex was more nervous than anything. She didn't really know anyone beside the fiery twins, Fred and George. To be frank, Alex didn't even know they would even remember her.

"Ready to go cupcake? We don't want you to miss your train," Henry chirpily asked his daughter who felt like she could throw up any second.

She just look at her dad and nodded, ignoring the eggs she was pushing around her plate. "Alex, you haven't eaten anything. Let me pack you something," Klarissa sighed grabbing the plate from the table as Alex stood up.

"She won't need it. She'll get something from the trolley. Oh how I wish I was going with you, cupcake," Henry smiled and laughed that was so contagious the two women tried to hold back their laughter at the sight of his excitement.

"I'll get my bag," Alex laughed as she walked to the front of the house, towards the stairs. 

"I already brought everything. If you're ready, we can floo right over," Henry replied grabbing the bags she had not noticed that she had passed.

Nodding Alex was handed the smaller, school bag as she walked into the fireplace. Grabbing the floo powder from the small Tupperware her mom held out, she threw the powder down and said "Platform nine and three quarters." 

Coughing the smoke that she had accidentally inhaled, Alex walked out making room for the next personas she stepped to the side, trying to clear her lungs. 

"Forgot what I've told you about floo powder I see," Alex heard her dad laugh as he walked towards her, patting her back as she finished coughing. 

They pair had walked a little further from the fireplaces that lined the wall and closer to the train closer to the other families saying goodbyes to their children. 

"I know I don't have to remind you anything cupcake. Just have some fun, I still remember a lot of the things I've done at Hogwarts. Make some memories and don't forget to do your homework," Henry hugged his daughter. "I'll miss you and don't forget to write. They have a whole owlry unlike Salem." 

"Thanks dad. I'll miss you and mom," Alex hugged her father back. "Love you." Alex bit back the tears she started to feel coming.

"I love you too cupcake." It seemed like Henry didn't want to let go of his daughter.

"Henry! Great to see out outside the ministry for a change," a voice had spoke that pulled Henry off his daughter to look.

"Arthur! Great to see you where it all started," Henry laughed going over to give his old friend a hug. "This is Alex. It's her seventh year. Alex this is my old friend Arthur!" Henry turned to give introductions.

Arthur was another red headed man who was starting to bald. Alex guessed that they were the twins' father.

"Oh wonderful to finally meet you!" The older man shook Alex's hand as she gave him a smile. "Molly and I have talked to the twins so you won't be all alone on the train ride," Arthur had added.

Oh great, pity before meeting me. Now they most likely hate me. Alex thought to herself. 

"Oh look George it's the American," one twin had spoke to the other popping up behind their father.

"Looks like it. Hello Mr Varleth," the other twin greeted Henry. "Hope you said your goodbyes."

"Off for your tour of the train," the twins took turns talking. 

The one who had greeted her father grabbed the bags from him as the other wrapped his arm around her neck and leaded her towards the trains

The train was not something that Alex had ever imagined. It was a bright red train with Hogwarts on it. If felt magical. It never stopped to amaze Alex, the magic this part of her brought out. Walking up the stairs into the train, passing each compartment filled with students of all ages catching up and settling in. This was definitely not anything like when Alex left for Salem. It was always a boring car ride with her parents saying goodbye at the gate.

Alex completely ignored everyone who was saying to the twins. She was too taken in by the train, not that she actually had ever been on one really, let alone one this big.

The twins had found a compartment that had only one other person in it. It was a black boy with long dreadlocks putting up what looked like a trunk. It seemed that it already had more trunks in the overhead compartment with the initials FW and GW. 

"Fred! George! How was your summer?" The boy asked finally coming down Fromm putting his things away.

"Great, your's Lee?" The other twin asked adding Alex's stuff to the pile. 

"Could you leave my bad?" Alex asked awkwardly hoping not to interrupt their conversation and bring the attention to herself. The twins pulled it back down and handed her the bag. "Thanks"

The attention did shift to her, like she hoped wouldn't. "Well hello their. I'm Lee Jordan. I don't know what these two have told you about me but they're all lies," the boys smiled talking a seat next to the twin who had passed her the bag.

Alex sat down on the opposite side with the other twin. He had moved his arm from around her neck and was fiddling with parchment that he had pulled out. "Rich you think we would talk about you," the twin laughed from next to her which caused the other two boys laugh.

"Look who's talking. Fred thinking that he's better than us, George," Lee has added nudging the twin next to him.

"At least I know I'm better than both of you, right Alex?" Alex guessed it was George who asked turning to her.

"Definitely," Alex laughed. "It's nice to meet up, I'm Alex," Alex then turned to the boy next to George who turned to Fred and laughed.

"That hurts American. And I helped you with your books," the twin over exaggerated hurt and placing his hand over his heart. 

Alex couldn't help but laugh at his antics causing him to break his scene and break into a smile. 

The twins and Lee soon had started talking about pranks that they were going to pull at school and feeling left out and unable to really follow the conversation, Alex decided to turn to a book that she had packed to read.

Alex soon found herself lost in the world filled with Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett. It didn't help that she had her Walkman in listening to Ace of Base.

"Oi! Alex!" A voice had yelled pulling her out of her book.

"Hm?" Alex hummed as she closed the book and piled off her Walkman and paused her music. 

"What are you doing? We don't have any homework yet," it was who Alex had though was George who asked. Alex noticed that he has a small scar hidden near his chin. 

"Reading. I like reading," Alex replied honestly like a child.

Alex felt Fred chuckle next to her as he grabbed the book from her hands. He looked over the back of the book, "You actually like this kind of stuff?" He asked flipping through the pages.

Heat had started to fill Alex's cheeks, "Um, yeah. It's cute. You wouldn't get it," Alex replied trying to grab the book which was passed to the other two boys.

"If I read these could I get a girl?" It was Lee who asked that made Alex break out into a smile.

"Probably," Alex replied at the same time as Fred said, "Lee you couldn't even get a Yule Ball date!"

"Leave him alone. I'm sure he'll be able to get a girlfriend faster than you," Alex defended the other boy before he could respond, smirking at Fred.

"Oh really? Is that a competition I'm feeling?" Fred asked looking back, a smirk playing with his lips.

"There you two are!" A female voice had boomed into the compartment. She was a beautiful girl. Her dark skin looked as though it was glowing.

"Hi Angelina we had a great holiday. How about you?" George had said out of no where.

"I wanted to tell you the quidditch schedule. We are going work harder and longer than we trained before! We are going to win that quidditch cup," she spoke with fire in her voice. "I will not let you two ruin this for me."

"Angelina you need to relax," it was Lee who spoke. "The season still hasn't started, let alone term!"

"Wood had left this trans new reputation to me. Just as we have a winning streak, don't forget the season got cancelled last year. We need to remind the school who has the best team. Gryffindor, that's who," the girl, Angelina, gave a speech. 

***

After the girl joined them for a while, getting to know her new roommate it seemed. Angelina was not just beautiful, but very smart as well. She became the Quidditch Captain, is a chaser on the team as well as taking 5 NEWT classes, and was quite passionate for the sport. 

Alex honestly didn’t know much about the sport but enjoyed the conversation she was having with Angelina. She just seemed so driven and made the conversation just so much more enlivened by their conversation by the way she seemed to speak about it. 

“Well I hope Gryffindor does great this season,” Alex smiled at the girl.

“Thanks! Sorry if I ever bother you early morning or late night because of practice,” she smiled back pushing her dark curly hair over her shoulder.

“Don’t pull a wood,” one of the twins groaned.

“Wood? Wonder what that means,” Alex thought to herself. She didn’t seem to understand a lot of the slang the boys used around her, but she usually was able to pick up the meaning from the context, but with sentences these short and the twin telepathy they seemed to have, she couldn’t tell have the time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to come out. I’ve been swamped with my classes staring up again. I hope you all enjoy!


	6. That’s Muggle for Us

It had gotten quite dark while the train pulled into the station in the small town of Hogsmeade. Alex had fallen asleep sometime during the trip after Angelina left to see some other friends of hers and the twins and Lee had started talking about some business of theirs. 

The boys seemed more than happy to help her bring her things out onto the platform. The twins didn't even bother to use their hands and brought their and Alex's things out via magic. 

Smiling at the antics of the boys, Alex felt a small twinge in her chest and a feeling of tears watering in her eyes. Alex shook her head to push the tears back, not even sure why she felt like crying. She pulled a smile onto her face trying to push this feeling as far down as she could. Finally Alex saw that the self drawn carriages lined up in a row. 

"Here's an empty carriage," it was Lee who spoke and climbed into the carriage as a girl named Alicia Spinnet joined right behind him. Alicia was quite a pretty girl, with her dark brown hair neatly tied up into a bun and glowing brown skin. 

Both the twins made overdramatized gesture to let her onto the carriage before themselves, bowing extremely low. 

"M'lady," Fred had jokingly added as Alex climbed up laughing with the others in the carriage.

She took the seat across from Angelina who was sitting next to Alicia, already talking about the team practice schedule she was thinking about. Lee was sitting on the other side of Alicia, holding what seemed to be a tarantula. Alex shivered at the look of it, scooting closer to the edge of the seat, getting far away from the spider.

"Oh don't tell me you're scared of spiders," a voice had spoke which cause Alex to break her eye contact with terrifying creature.

"Let's say I'm not a fan," Alex looked back, trying to make sure the spider didn't try to come near her. "They don't understand that I want to stay far as possible away from them."

A small laugh came from the twin. Alex couldn't really tell who it was from the voice but was too scared to look away from the spider. "Hey Lee can I see River?" Alex quickly shot a look at the boy and recognize the scar above his eyebrow to be Fred.

"Keep that thing away from me," Alex warned as she tried to push herself further back against the side of the carriage.

"Oh it's harmless," he grinned moving his hand with the tarantula closer to her face.

"Fred, I'm serious," Alex was close to shrieking as he slowly pulled the spider away from her face and passed it back to Lee who was smiling at his friends antics. "Don't touch me with those hands," Alex added pointing to the red heads hands as the carriage started to pull away.

Fred looked at her with waggish smile playing on his lips. "Leave her alone Fred," Angelina spoke sending a pointed look at the twin who feigned innocent and put his hands in the air, imitating surrender. She rolled her eyes shaking her head with a small smile, continuing the conversation she was having a moment prior.

"So you’re actually scared of spiders,” he laughed lightly, the smile still playing on his lips.

Alex rolled her eyes. “I told you, I’m not a fan. They have their space, I have mine. They leave me alone, I leave them alone, we’re good,” she shook her head as she watched Lee put the spider back into a box. 

She relaxed a little looking at the view that was passing her as the carriages were nearing the castle. The castle was a so much more than she could ever imagine. Henry left a lot of details out from his stories from his school days. He did mention the Great Hall having an enchanted ceiling and the warmth, feeling of home from the Gryffindor Common Room, the vast portraits and ghosts from different centuries, the damp dungeon, the enchanting lake and all the things Henry enjoyed of Hogwarts.

Alex felt giddy as they got closer, her leg bobbing from all the excitement. She grew up hearing stories of a magical castle of Hogwarts. 

“Excited?” the red head beside her laughed lightly . 

“Just wait until you get inside,” the other one spoke grinning a Cheshire grin.

»»»»»»»»»

Walking up the stone path up the ginormous staircase, Alex’s mouth hung open slightly. The scuffs and slight indentation of the stairs from shoes that so many Hogwarts students have created over a millenniums. The small chips of stone in the handrails from students pranks on each other or accidents from running late to class. 

The astonishment didn't stop there. The second Alex took her step into the infamous Great Hall, she could have never imagined it.

The enchanted ceiling created an atmosphere of wonder and it was just breathtaking. Every star could have been pointed out, it was far more enchanting than sitting out in the grass and staring up at the night sky. Alex felt as if she reached far enough and help with magic, she could grab the stars right into her hands like little fireflies twinkling instead suns in far out galaxies. 

Candles were floating around, lighting the huge room that had four parallel tables and one very large table perpendicular at the very front of the room. The candle wax vanished and didn’t fall on the ground and kept burning. The beauty of magic.

The group lead Alex to one of the parallel tables and took their seats. “Done staring? I think you have some drool- right there,” George spoke feigning a serious tone and breaking into a smile as Alex rolled her eyes with a small smile playing on her lips.

“Whatever.”

“What was your school like in America?” Alicia asked resting her head on her hands. 

Alex look taken aback for a second, “Well, nothing like this place. This is all so gorgeous. Salem was like a no-maj school building where we had our classes. We had a separate building with housing. Um, it was all very no-maj like.”

“That’s muggle for us,” Fred added winking at Alex which caused Alex to let out a small chuckle.

“Yes, muggle as you guys say.” Alex went into detail of how they had a mixture of non magical classes and magic based classes throughout the week and how boring it was really. There was never anything that showed the vast capabilities of magic like the enchanted ceiling they were under. Everything was quite practical. 

The conversation quickly turned to comparing their experiences. They didn’t even notice the sorting passing, and food appearing and all being eaten quickly as they laughed and joked around.

“So you’ve never flown on a broom?” Angelina asked shocked at how it was optional over the summer and Alex never really cared to learn since they had floo and side along apperation and now she can apperate on her own.

“Nope,” Alex popped her p as she took another bite of custard sitting in front of her. 

“Oh we’re gonna change that,” Fred spoke up.

“Seriously, you guys don’t have to. We have NEWTs, and most of you have quidditch to practice. I’m not cutting into your practice time or study time,” Alex turned to her side to look at the twin.

“I only have three classes anyway. Don’t worry about me,” Fred winked as the headmaster stood up to speak again.

He was quite an old man, probably has already reached a hundred. From what her father told her, she was assuming it was the infamous Albus Dumbledore who defeated Grindelwald. She remembered learning all about it in her history class. He wanted to end the Statue of Secrecy and dominate over the no-majs. It was all disgusting rhetoric of pure blooded witches and wizards more superior to those who had any no-maj blood in them. 

“Hem. Hem. Thank you headmaster.” The shrill voice of who seemed to be the new Defensive Arts professor had spoken up, interrupting the headmaster.

The whole table had quickly looked at each other. It seemed to Alex that no other professor had ever tried to interrupt the headmaster.

“Hem. Hem. I must say it’s wonderful to be back at Hogwarts.” Alex could already tell she was in for a class that she was going to end up hating because of this professor. Alex could see that everyone at the table seemed to looked slightly like they ate something terrible. 

“I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all and I’m sure we’ll be very good friends.”

“As if,” Alex heard the twins mutter under their breath as Alex made eye contact with Lee and Angelina who raised her eyebrow to agree with the twins statement.

“The Ministry of Magic -“ 

“Oh great, politics,” Alex signed to herself. She despised dealing with political fronts with people. She was who she wanted to be and wasn’t going to put up a fake front to keep appearances. 

Alex couldn’t bother to put anymore effort into listening so she played with the hem of her robe sleeve to occupy herself.

She quickly looked up realizing the twins were whispering to each other non-conspicuously. “You do realize people can hear you whisper to each other. They’ll think you’re up to something,” Alex leaned forward whispering into Fred’s shoulder.

“Darling, everyone always thinks we’re up to something,” Fred paused his conversation to quickly replied with a wink. 

Headmaster Dumbledore politely clapped as he continued on with what he was saying previously, acting as if this was completely normal behavior. He then dismissed them soon after.

That group stood as they slowly made their way to Gryffindor Tower and Alex was all too ready to eat her head on her pillow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi sorry his for the late update. Classes have started up again and I’ve been so busy keeping up with assignments. I’ll try to keep updating at least weekly if not sooner.


	7. We Are Men

The room was filled with chatter when Alex woke the next morning. 

"Angelina we can't start practice this week. We don't even have a Keeper yet!" 

Alex smiled to herself as she pulled open the heavy embroidered curtains from around her bed as she got out of bed. She didn't have the chance to admire them last night since she was exhausted from her travel and still being jet lag. They were a deep maroon color with a beautiful, intricate gold embroidery. 

"Wood left the team to me and I am not going to lose the Cup the only year I get to be captain!" Angelina reapplied exasperated by the thought of losing.

The two girls were still in their pajamas sitting on Angelina's bed.

"Morning girls," Alex called out as she stretched and she sat on the edge of her bed.

"Good morning."

"Morning Alex," the girls replied, pausing their argument. 

Alex noted that they were both still in their pajamas, sitting on Angelina's bed. 

"Elizabeth left earlier, probably starting on her prefect duties," Alicia spoke up about their other roommate, who Alex briefly met the night before.

"Oh, okay. What time is it? I haven't taken out my alarm clock yet or even set it," Alex asked as she mindlessly traced the golden pattern on the curtains surrounding her bed. 

"It's nine forty-eight. We really should head down for breakfast," Angelina glanced at her clock on her bedside. 

"Agreed, I'm starving!"

Alex let a little laugh out as she got up to go to her suitcase at the foot of her bed. All of the girls had theirs at the foot of their beds. She grabbed some no-maj style clothing and quickly changed before she took a moment to admire the room she was in. 

The room's in the tower and was shaped in a circle, like how she would imagine a princess would have. The beds were on either side of the one large window that had a small ledge that could be used as a bench. There were only four girls who occupied the room and the beds showed that accordingly. The only other thing the room had left to show was a door to a small single bathroom and a desk that had a mirror placed over it to make a makeshift vanity.

Alex walked over to the window to admire the view they had. It was overshadowing the Great Lake that she saw a glimpse of the first years take boats over the night before. It looked as if a tentacle was skimming the surface of the serene water.

"Alex? Ready to go?" It was Alicia who walked over and placed her hand on her shoulder, snapping Alex out of her thoughts. 

Shooting a small smile, "Yeah, let's go."

Alex laughed at the two since Angelina brought up the topic of Quidditch practice, yet again, starting up the following week and Alicia arguing that they can't really practice without a keeper and tryouts didn't start until another two weeks. They had barely just left the common room when the discussion had started.

"Alex can you be the Keeper until tryouts?" Angelina sounded so hopeful.

"I absolutely hate flying," Alex replied biting her lip as she saw Angelina's face fall. 

"How can you hate flying?" 

They had finally reached the Great Hall when Angelina had asked. After seven flights of stairs, Alex was grateful that they had reached their destination since she was starting to get out of breath. They slowly made their way to the table, seeing the twins and Lee already seated they join them.

"I'm terrified of flying on those death traps," Alex replied honestly, starting to play with the ends of her hair by her shoulders. 

"You're scared of flying on a broom?" Angelina repeated, seeming like she was offended by the idea of it.

"Yeah. It wasn't mandatory at Salem to learn to fly, so I never did. Terrified of heights since I was little."

"You don't know how to fly?" The red head seated in front of her question. 

Looking over both the twins from the table, Alex noticed the one sitting in front of her had a scar passing over his eyebrow and the other sat right next to him, had none that she could make out. 

"Well good morning to you too boys," Alex laughed as she looked over the breakfast trays that sat in-front of her.

There was trays of toast, oatmeal, eggs, bacon, sausage, a variety of jams, teas, coffee, and pumpkin juice. Alex first grabbed a jug filled with black coffee and filled a mug three fourths way up with the back coffee and filled the rest with cream and sugar.

"You seriously have never flown on a broom?" Fred questioned as the rest of the group started on the topic of Quidditch as Alex had stepped away to grab the coffee.

"Yeah, why? Is that so hard to imagine?" Alex questioned as she took a small sip from the steaming mug.

"I can teach you. You should really know how to fly," he pointed out staring intently at her.

Alex looked up from her coffee to look at the boy, "You really don't have to waste your time teaching me. I can apperate."

The boy shrugged as he went back to join the conversation with the rest of the group.

They spent quite a bit time laughing and chatting away in the Great Hall. The only reason they had decided to leave was when the food in front of them had disappeared. 

The twins and Lee had decided that it was their job to show Alex around the humongous castle and its grounds. They had first started by taking her around to the less traveled corridors then quickly passed by the classrooms that had barely been touched and vaguely mentioned where their classes would be held. Fred and George made comments about the moving staircases and the occasional trick step.

Several of the ghosts stopped and talked to them, as well as a few portraits. One had seemed to have quite a long conversation compared to the others. The portrait belonged to a Marlene McKinnon. She was asking them how the prospect for the quidditch team looked.

"We don't have a keeper and Angelina wants to start practicing without one. She's trying to be another Wood," Fred laughed at the Portrait.

"I get it. Hopefully she won't be such an arse about it Weasley," the portrait smile backed.

"I'll see you later McKinnon?" The red head question.

"You better Weasley. Also give Filch a little surprise for me," the dark-haired portrait smile back as she fixed her Quidditch robes.

“Don’t we always?” The other red head had laughed causing the girl to laugh and shake her head.

“That was Marlene McKinnon, she was one of the best beaters in Gryffindor,” Fred started to explain.

“Her brother played for the Puddlemore Quidditch Team,” George added on right after as if they finished each other’s thoughts.

“McKinnon saved us from Filch in our second year. We came back later and thanked her and it started a new friendship,” Lee laughed thinking back to when they were twelve.

The twins burst out laughing at the thought of what had happened that day. 

“So you became friends with a portrait?” Alex asked raising an eyebrow at the three boys trying to contain their laughter but failing and laughing a little harder.

Alex couldn’t help but chuckle and couldn’t hold back her smile anymore. She shook her head at the boys.

“Portraits are quite helpful for what we do!” Fred protested, straightening himself up as Lee failed to compose himself and was wheezing from the laughter.

“Oh what do you boys do?” Alex mocked shaking her head with a smile.

“Boys?” George exclaimed.

“No we are men!” Fred exaggerated, pounding his chest as George did at the same time.

Lee had lost it at this point and Alex started laughing as she heard Lee snort in laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late post. I’ve been dealing with quite a lot of personal things and writers block. Hopefully I’m over it soon.


	8. What’s so Funny?

Alex had woken up by Angelina shaking her. Alex quickly shot out off bed, grabbing the uniform that she has folded and put on top of her suitcase before she fell asleep. She was going to be late as Angelina and Alicia were already ready and their other roommate was always gone.

"Shit. Shit. Shit," Alex kept muttering to herself and she was trying to pull her socks on as she jumped around trying to balance on one leg. 

The two other girls ended up laughing so hard they were clutching their stomachs. Alex looked up and realized they weren't completely ready to leave yet.

"Seriously? I thought I was going to be late! Angelina! Alicia!" Alex laughed slightly at the two girls slowly controlling their laughter.

"Sorry, you started to snore," Angelina laughed slightly again shoving parchments into her bag. 

Alex laughed at the thought and took her time to get ready, taking her time to put everything that she could think of in her enchanted bag and double checked how she looked in the mirror before taking in the room around her. 

Last night she was far too exhausted to enjoy the moment and fell asleep as soon as she could. Angelina, Alicia, Lee and the twins stayed up late laughing and catching up with each other and getting to know Alex late into the night before their roommate Elizabeth came and sent all of them to their rooms. 

Angelina's bed was quite neat excluding all the papers, quills, and books sprawled across her bed as she was looking for her things. Alicia's bed was made with some socks and a skirt hanging out of her suitcase. The Elizabeth had her bed and trunk all neat, as if she didn't even come into the room. She knew exactly what she wanted and wanted to focus and not ruin her chances on her NEWTs, she seemed very sweet as well. Alex's bed had her pajamas sprawled on her bed with missed matched socks and a skirt peaking out of her suitcase. Each of the beds had thick red curtains embroidered with an elaborate golden pattern that could be pulled around for privacy. Between Alicia's and Alex's bed was a window that'll was nearly as wide as a dresser and almost taking the height of the room, just having a large enough ledge to sit on. On the other side of the room was a large vanity that the girls used to get ready and functioned as a makeshift desk. 

"Hey we're heading down. Coming?" Alicia asked from the doorway. "It's usually quieter if the twins don't show up. We might be able to have a girls chat for once"

Alex let out a small laugh as she grabbed her backpack and joined them. 

They made their way down the spiraling staircase. Alicia told her that it was enchanted so only girls could come up the steps and if a boy ever did, it would turn into a slide, answering her question from the night before but was far too exhausted to explain. Alex laughed as she could imagine it as the first time a boy would try and slide back down on their stomach. 

She ended up telling the girl how she and her brother would try to climb up slides when they were in elementary school or primary as Alicia knew it.

As they girls made their way down to the Great Hall, Alex felt out of breath. "How do you do it?" Alex panted as the girls waited her with smiles on their faces.

"I guess we're use to it," Alicia replied smiling.

"It's cause you're athletes," Alex pointed as she was able to regain some oxygen she desperately needed.

"We're almost there," Angelina laughed locking arms with her. "How about I catch you up with the gossip. It might take your mind off all the walking," she started as Alex secretly appreciated at how she was trying to make her feel better and included.

For the rest of the way Angelina explained what happened the year prior, explaining as much as she could. They had a Triwizard tournament that Alex remembered hearing about. She heard about some of the tasks and how the infamous Harry Potter had somehow been entered even though he was underage. Angelina explained the little detail she did know of what had happened. One of the Hufflepuff students, Cedric Diggory, had tragically died in the final task. Alex remembered reading about the tragic accident in the paper the previous summer. She remembered debating with her friends as what could have caused it. If the boy could have passed dragons then what could it have been? Angelina and Alicia both believed what Harry Potter was saying, that the Dark Lord had returned and killed Cedric Diggory. 

"No, how could he be back?" Alex questioned holding her hand over her mouth. They had reached the humongous wooden doors that belonged to the entrance of the Great Hall.

From what she remembered, Harry Potter has somehow defeated the Dark Lord when he was barely a year old. His parents had died to save him and Harry was alive because of them it seemed. The only thing that left a reminder of that night was a lighting shaped scar on his forehead.

The girls walked passed as they took seats of the table that belonged to the house of Gryffindor. 

"I'm not sure, but I believe Harry. He wouldn't lie about something like this," Angelina replied grabbing a piece of toast from one of the plates and buttering it up.

"Good morning, ladies," a ghost had appeared slightly bowing.

"Morning Nick," Angelina smiled at the ghost. He seemed to look like from between 1400-1600s to Alex. "This is Alex. She transferred from America," Angelina introduced her before she took a bite from her buttered toast.

"Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington," the ghost bowed again towards Alex.

Alex couldn't help but smile at the old-century type gentlemanly behavior. She felt flattered and blushed slightly. "It's lovely to meet you."

She could see Angelina and Alicia holding back their laughter from seeing her class at the ghost. 

"As well as meeting you," the ghost spoke again, seeing the girls holding back their laughter. "I must go now. Good day ladies." And with that the ghost disappeared and the girls bursted out laughing.

Alicia had nearly turned bright red from holding her laugh in. Alex shook her head looking for a jug filled with coffee. Luckily she had found one and poured some for herself and mixed in some milk and sugar. 

"What's so funny?" It was George who appeared and asked the question. Fred of course was right next to him.

"Alex has a crush on Nearly Headless Nick," Alicia bursted out between her fits of laughter. 

Alex threw a piece of toast at the girl, "I hate you." Alex laughed slightly.

"Nearly Headless Nick?" Fred questioned raising an eyebrow as he took a seat next to he's and George on the opposite side.

"He's a gentleman unlike the two of you," Alex laughed, playing along.

George had feigned hurt as did Fred. "We can be gentleman!" 

Angelina snorted as she heard that, "And I'm a goblin."

Alex stayed quite as she watched the three of them argue and ate her breakfast and drank her coffee. Sometime during their arguments Professor McGonagall had dropped their class schedules and they are now starting to compare with each other.

Monday:   
Transfigurations: 9:00-10:45  
Herbology: 3:00-4:00

Tuesday:  
Charms: 9:00-10:00  
Divination: 1:00-3:00

Wednesday:  
Potions: 9:00-10:00  
Defense Against the Dark Arts: 10:30-12:00  
Alchemy: 2:30-5:30

Thursday:  
Herbology: 9:00-11:00  
Transfiguration: 1:00-2:00  
Charms: 2:30-5:00

Friday:  
Defense Against the Dark Arts: 9:00-10:00  
Potions: 10:15-12:30  
Divination: 1:45-3:00

"You're taking potions and Alchemy with Snape?" Alicia questioned, looking at Alex's schedule.

"Yeah. I like potions. Is he a bad professor?" Alex slightly starting to regret her decision. "Are none of you taking potions?"

Everyone shook their head at the table. Potions alone.

"I have Defense, Herbology and Charms with you," Fred spoke up looking over Alex's shoulder at the parchment on the wooden table.

"I got DADA, Charms and Transfiguration with you," George smiled looking over. 

"Thank Merlin," Alex smiled at the two boys. 

"Same as the boys minus herbology," Angelina smiled pushing her parchment forward. Angelina was also taking muggle studies, and care of magical creatures. 

It looked as if Alicia was taking the same classes as Angelina. When Alex peeked over at Lee's, she saw that she was still alone in Divination and Potions.

"I can't believe you're taking two different potions classes with Snape. Man's a nightmare," Fred smiled. It seemed as if everyone in the school finally decided to join in the Great Hall.

"Well I can't take it back anymore," Alex gave a small smile. 

"I'll meet you after Transfiguration and I'll walk you to herbology," Fred gave her shoulder a small push. 

"Thanks," Alex replied smiling up at him.

"Ready for Transfiguration?" Angelina asked getting up. Alicia seemed to already be out of her seat, waiting for them.

"Yeah, give me a sec," Alex replied getting out from between the boys and grabbing her bag from the floor. "Bye boys," she waved as she went to catch up to the girls waiting by the doors.

»»»»»»»»»»

Professor McGonagall decided that she wanted to talk about the theory of animagi and the differences between them and transfiguring other living things in her first class.

It was a long winded lecture after she went over what they were to cover that year, which also included body transfiguration as well as conjuration. It ended with a 48inch long paper about laws of human transfiguration due the next class. The whole class had seemed to internally groan at hearing the assignments.

Alex had already mentally thought of some laws that popped into her head and quickly wrote down before she forgot and packed everything into her bag again seeing that nearly everyone had emptied the class out.

Throwing a single strap over her shoulder, she left the room. It looked like Angelina and Alicia had already left without her, probably to their next class. Turning out of the door Alex saw both the twins talking to each other in hushed tones on the opposite wall from the door of the classroom.

George looked as though he was teasing his brother who seemed a little red as to have said something to embarrass him back cause George to slightly shove Fred. 

"Hey, you guys didn't have to wait for me," Alex smiled walking towards them. 

"We don't want our favorite American getting lost, now do we?" George smiled wiggling his eyebrows.

"I'm the only American you know," Alex pointed out.

"How do you know that?" Fred raised his brow with a small smile.

"Because I do," Alex winked.

"Oh really?" 

"Really."

The two had been staring at each other before Alex shook her head laughing slightly again, breaking the eye contact.

She felt a little tinge in her heart for a second and felt her smile faulted for a second. Just a second. She shook the feeling and looked back up at both twins. 

"Where are we're off to now?" Alex asked.

George took a quick glance at his brother and quickly replied, "I have something I need to take care of-alone. Have fun you two!" With that he went running down the hall.

Alex glanced up at the other twin trying to figure out what that was all about.

"Is he okay?" Alex asked pointing with her thumb to the boy running down the hall.

"Oh he needs to do something for that prank we promised to McKinnon," Fred replied shaking his head.

"You could go and join him. We have a couple of hours until Herbology. I can just start this assignment the Professor McGonagall has assigned," Alex spoke looking at the red head leaning against the wall.

"Oh no, George has got this. I actually wanted to show you somewhere we didn't show you this weekend. Lee doesn't know about it either." 

"Oo, I'm special," Alex laughed seeing the tall, stalky twin shake his head with a smirk planting back on his face.

"Oh, that's what you think," he teased wrapping an arm around her shoulder leading her down the opposite direction from where his twin ran earlier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I’ve been doing a lot better since my last post. I have midterms coming up so I’m hoping I’ll be able to post the next chapter in 2 weeks. 
> 
> I cannot tell you how much I love writing these and have so many ideas already planned.


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